Punctal stenosis: definition, diagnosis, and treatment

Uri Soiberman,1 Hirohiko Kakizaki,2 Dinesh Selva,3 Igal Leibovitch11Division of Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery, Department of Ophthalmology, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan; 3South Australian Institute of Ophthalmology and Discipline of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Adelaide, South Australia, AustraliaAbstract: Acquired punctal stenosis is a condition in which the external opening of the lacrimal canaliculus is narrowed or occluded. This condition is a rare cause of symptomatic epiphora, but its incidence may be higher in patients with chronic blepharitis, in those treated with various topical medications, including antihypertensive agents, and especially in patients treated with taxanes for cancer. The purpose of this review is to cover the medical literature, focusing in particular on definition, incidence, risk factors, etiology and treatment options.Keywords: acquired punctal stenosis, definition, epiphora, etiology, treatment